Kalen DeBoer updates status of Alabama staff: 'We're getting close'

As he wraps up his first full week as Alabama head coach, Kalen DeBoer’s staff appears to be coming together. It’s not fully set, though, as he told Paul Finebaum on Friday.

DeBoer previously said he planned to bring “a touch of Washington” with him from his previous job, and that seems to be the case on the offensive side of the ball. The most notable hire is coordinator Ryan Grubb, who was a target for the same job last year when Nick Saban was trying to replace Bill O’Brien. On defense, though, DeBoer brought in South Alabama head coach Kane Wommack as coordinator — a huge move to bring some Southern ties.

DeBoer’s not quite done yet, though. However, it might not take long for him to round things out.

“We’re getting close,” DeBoer said on The Paul Finebaum Show. “We’re not there all the way, but we’ve got an extremely talented staff. A good mix of people I’ve worked with, with those that are very familiar with the SEC and have either coached here or know the area well. So excited about the style of play we’ll have.

“We’ll continue to attack both sides of the ball, and just a group that I know their personalities, their egos get pushed off to the side and will always do what’s [for the] betterment of the team. But just I’m excited. Again, we’re not quite there yet. But they’re a very talented group.”

Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne: The coaching staff will be Kalen DeBoer’s call

Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne confirmed he and DeBoer had conversations about the staff, but he’ll ultimately leave it up to the coach. He also didn’t rule out keeping some of the current staffers in place, although again, it’s DeBoer’s call.

“If I don’t have the confidence in the head coach to manage their staff then I’ve got the wrong head coach, right?” Byrne said.

Another name already circulating from DeBoer’s Washington staff is Courtney Morgan. He was the Huskies’ general manager the last two seasons, and got off the plane with DeBoer and his family when he landed in Tuscaloosa after accepting the Alabama job.

Morgan was one of DeBoer’s first hires at Washington after leaving Fresno State, initially joining Washington as director of player personnel. That was the position he held at Michigan, helping lead the Wolverines to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance as part of a turnaround season under Jim Harbaugh.